Tory deputy chair Lee Anderson insists support for death penalty is ‘not some lunatic fringe view’
Lee Anderson insists his support for the death penalty is ‘not some lunatic fringe view’ as Tory deputy chairman tells TalkTV’s Nadine Dorries that a majority of Brits want a return of capital punishment – although he admits it’s ‘never going to happen’
- Lee Anderson defends his support for death penalty as ‘not some lunatic view’
- New Tory deputy chairman says majority of Britons hold same stance as him
New Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson has defended his support for the death penalty and insisted it is ‘not some lunatic fringe view’.
The outspoken MP for Ashfield insisted that a majority of Britons – including millions of Conservative voters – would like to see a return to capital punishment.
He also stressed his view should not be a ‘big surprise’ as it is an ‘an opinion I’ve always held from being a teenager’.
But Mr Anderson admitted a return of the death penalty ‘is never going to happen’ as it would never be passed by Parliament.
The 56-year-old, a former Labour councillor who defected to the Tories before becoming an MP in 2019, has frequently courted controversy.
![](https://london24news.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/LOGO2.png)
Speaking to TalkTV’s Nadine Dorries, Lee Anderson insisted that a majority of Britons – including millions of Conservative voters – would like to see a return to capital punishment
His appointment to a top party role by Rishi Sunak earlier this month saw renewed scrutiny of his past comments about food banks, England footballers ‘taking the knee’ before matches and his support for capital punishment.
In a recent magazine interview, Mr Anderson claimed the death penalty had a ‘100 per cent success rate’ and the killers of Fusilier Lee Rigby should have been ‘gone the same week’.
The Prime Minister disowned Mr Anderson’s remarks and insisted neither he nor the Government want to return to killing those convicted of crimes.
But, in an interview with TalkTV to be aired tonight, the Tory deputy chairman defended his stance.
Speaking to the ‘Friday Night with Nadine’ show, hosted by fellow Tory MP and former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, Mr Anderson said: ‘Last year, we brought new laws in, you were there Nadine, to increase sentencing for the most violent criminals in this country – that for me, is red meat.
‘I know you’re gonna harp on about the death penalty comments. This is not a big surprise to my constituents.
‘I’m not all of a sudden coming out saying I support the death penalty. This is an opinion I’ve always held from being a teenager, but you know what? It’s not some lunatic fringe view.
‘This is not. This is you know, this is supported by 52 per cent of the country and millions of Conservative voters actually support this policy.’
A recent YouGov poll suggested 30 per cent of people believe the death penalty should be reintroduced in all cases of murder, with the figure rising to 52 per cent in cases of multiple murder.
A separate survey conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies in March 2021 found 54 per cent of Britons would support capital punishment for those convicted of terrorism in the UK.
But, despite his personal support, Mr Anderson admitted the death penalty was not going to be returned in Britain.
He added: ‘Look, I know and you know, Nadine, this is never going to happen. It’s never going to be Government policy, it will never get through Parliament but, you know, I’m a human being, I’m a citizen, I’m a member of Parliament.
‘I am allowed to have opinions, even if there’s some people in my own party in Parliament don’t agree with them. It’s as simple as that. It’s a democracy.’
Meanwhile, Mr Anderson said getting a grip on the number of illegal migrants entering Britain will change the course of the next election.
Rishi Sunak has promised new legislation curbing small boat crossings from France as one of his five major pledges.
Mr Anderson said the prospect of Sir Keir Starmer and his frontbench in power both ‘terrifies’ and motivates him, but that the Tories will always unite at the crucial moment.
He said: ‘The new legislation that Rishi’s promised us – where if you enter this country illegally, you are removed immediately to a third country – that should be enough to please the voters in red wall areas like Ashfield.’
The Ashfield MP, who used to be a Labour councillor, blasted his old ‘divisive’ party and suggested they had a lack of talent on the frontbench. He said: ‘When it comes to the crunch, [Conservatives] can all pull together and unite, which is something I never actually saw in the Labour Party.’
‘In the Conservative Party, you argue behind closed doors then you go out for a pint at the end of the day.’
His comments come just days after former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was told he would never stand as a party candidate again by Sir Keir, sparking another internal battle in the party.
* Friday Night with Nadine is on on TalkTV at 8pm